Infernal
Features *Enters Erebus once the Infernal Pact is researched by a civilization; that civilization will have the option of taking control of the Infernals, but they must first abandon their civilization *Only civilization that does not require food, thanks to the Fallow Trait *Infernal have no use for Farms, health/happiness buildings and/or resources. *Most units are Demons; as such, they are immune to Death and Unholy damage, as well as fear. Demons can travel through burning lands. *You may swithc Civics with no Revolution, and remember to do so at the start of the game, but you will be obliged to follow the Ashen Veil religion... your religion. Hyborems traits are Spiritual, Barbarian and Summoner. Infernal also benefit from the Fallow trait. * Spiritual means no anarchy, double production of Temples and Disciple units start with Mobility and Potency promotions. * Barbarian means peace with barbarians at the beginning but it also cuts down all the research by 10%. * Summoner grants “Summoner” promotion to all Arcane units (=summons start with Combat I) and it also increases a duration for all summoned units by 1. * Fallow makes this civilization even more interesting as it nullifies the effects of food – cities won’t grow or starve based on worked tiles, instead the Infernal grow their cities by adding Manes. * Infernal starting Technology is Crafting, Infernal Pact and all the other technologies known by the civilization that had summoned them. Their civ-specific advantage is that all cities start with strong features: * Ashen Veil religion * Size of 3 population * Several buildings: Elder Council, Forge, Mage Guild, Obsidian Gate, Training Yard * Demonic Citizens building, that act as a reminder of the Fallow trait: it removes unhealthiness and unhappiness * No food mechanics: the cities will not grow or starve, remaining static untill you add a Manes to the population. * All the city territory will revert to Hell Terrain at beginning of turn. The world spell is called Hyborem's Whisper. This spell can only be cast by Hyborem and requires Malevolent Designs technology. It allows the player to take control of an Ashen Veil city. The civilization hero is Hyborem, a very powerful unit that you get once you take control of the Infernal civilization. Be careful with him though - if you lose him, you also lose all your traits except Fallow. Rosier the Fallen is the hero of the Ashen Veil religion: as you are forced to this cult, you will have to contend it with your summoner and other belivers. Meshabber of Dis is a powerful hero unlocked from the start, but he requires a Armageddon Counter of 70, so you will have to raze some cities to be able to summon it. Unique units include Balor, a berserker replacement, which may seem weak on the first glance as it does not deal collateral damage, but fear not, they start with Stigmata promotion giving them bonus equal to half the Armageddon counter. Imp is an adept replacement that starts with Demon and Resist Fire promotions and benefits from +1 Unholy combat. Hellhound replaces hunter and has an extra movement speed in comparison. Finally, Death knights are powerful knights that can cast Death spells. The Palace provides Entropy, Fire mana and Iron resource. It also grants +50% hammers and +1 :gold: +1 :science: +1 :culture: from all state religion buildings. Infernal can't build Arquebuses and their blocked buildings include Public Baths, Infirmary, Smokehouse, Herbalist, Granary and Aqueduct. Spawning The game does not start with this Civilization. Once Infernal Pact has first been researched, if there is space for another player (i.e. the game isn't with the maximum number of players), then the following will be placed at a pseudo-random non-water, passable, non-city plot with no units: * Each plot is assigned a random number 0-499 + 2 * the number of tiles in the area + 10* the number of unowned tiles in the area +500 if the tile is unowned, +200 if the tile is owned by the researching player. The highest numbered plot is chosen (the first one is chosen on a tie). Note that if there is no plot chosen, this player is not created. The following units are created at the chosen plot: * Hyborem with Immortal * Longbowman (Infernal) with Mobility I * Longbowman (Infernal) with Mobility I * Sect of Flies with Mobility I and Iron Weapons * Sect of Flies with Mobility I and Iron Weapons * Worker (Infernal) with Demon * Imp with Mobility I * Manes * Manes * Manes * Settler (Infernal) with Demon, Mobility I, Sentry, and Sentry II Note that if a human player first researches Infernal Pact, they will have the option of abandoning their current civilization, and taking over this one instead. * The Infernals start with the Starting technologies of the founding player, and start with an Open borders agreement with the founding player. Strategy "Ahh... a new tribe slinking across creation, still in that twilight between birth and the recruitment of hell." – Hyborem Your particular city require special managment and give you much flessibility. You may leave them at minimum population and regard them as outpost, and they are excellent outpost thank to the instant Portals and relgiuos culture. You will want to spam mines and cottages, because you are interested only in Production and Beakers. Burning Sands everywehere The Infernal lands are always Hell terrain. It spreads quickly through Ashen Veil lands, slower into evil lands, and even slower through neutral lands. It will never spread into Good lands (at least as it's implemented right now). Since it is dynamic switching your religion or alignment will effect the spread and cause it to slowly back out of your lands. Deserts convert to Burning Sands and one of the special abilities of Burning Sands is they can start burning. Those flames spread if they are bordered by forests or jungle tiles. Hyborem makes a very bad neighbor. Those tiles will start smoking, then eventually burst into flames themselves, potentially leading to huge raging forest fires on heavily forested maps. Units with less than 40% fire resistance can't pass through burning tiles. They will have to go around, wait for them to burn out, or deal with them in another way (the Spring spell puts out all fires within 1 tile). Of course we are using this mechanic in other places, a unit with over 3 points of fire strength has a chance to start fires if it passes through a forest, fireballs exploding in forests can start fires, etc. (Fellowship players should be rightfully concerned, but Ancient Forests are immune to fire, granting them some protection). Attention: Desert will transform in Buring Sand. Flames are ineffective on your Infernal workers, but notheless in the desert you will not build any improvements. If you conquer a large, beautiful city surrounded by farmed Flood Plains, used to give tons of food and gold to an Aristograrain normal civilization, you will find all the Desert turn to burning Sands and the Flodd Plains features will instanteously will be lost - forever. The farm improvement will remain but will be useless to you and your worker will be unable to build cottages. You may get the Aristocratic civic to have at lease some use for the farm, with a magre 2 beacon yeld. Burning Sands will prevent non demons from entering, and you may end up crippled just like everyone else. Your captured humans or elfs, your summoned skeletons and even your diseased corpses will not enter the sands. So where does it begin? No player, AI or human can start as Hyborem. The player that first researches Infernal Pact causes Hyborem to enter the world with a small army of his followers. The player that summoned him has the option to abandon his civ and begin playing as Hyborem. Where Hyborem settles will start the spread of Hell terrain. Either way Hyborem gets the Ashen Veil in all of his cities automatically and, if he is AI controlled, has good relations with fellow Ashen Veil civs. Demons are more powerful on Hell terrain, and Hyborem is designed to destroy the world under human or AI control. One of these new features is the rebirth mechanic. If a living unit dies anywhere in the world and it was "evil" (had either of the evil religions, or studied death or entropy magic) it is reborn as an Infernal Mane demon. The least of demons the Manes can be upgraded to any Demon type, giving the Infernals a fresh supply of units as long as evil creatures are dying in the world. Souls do not easily leave the battlefields of Erebus. Particuarly devious Hyborem players may turn on Ashen Veil allies if they decide they can serve the forces of hell better as Mane legions than as living allies. What else would you expect from a demon? Background What could be worse than hell? The domain of a fallen god, whispers of it are found in every religion. "The wicked shall face their eternal punishment in hell," says the Confessor. "Its fires burn hotter than any forge, and the foolish burn away like fool's gold," the Stonewarden warns. "The hottest days of summer do not compare," intones the Priest of Leaves, "and there is no rebirth for those defilers exiled there." The Cultists babble, "In the fire or in the void, your masters cannot speak to you, nor you to them; shun the realm of the fallen sun, and falter not in your labors for your lords, or you shall be so banished!" And in the rituals of the Ashen Veil lie these words: "From the fires of the pit, come our secrets, but we acknowledge we are supplicants, and offer the price you seek. We come to bargain, not command, oh Lords of the fire. For this presumption, take not our souls, take those of our foes." But the truth is much worse. Hell is an attack on every aspect of the souls that dwell within it. An excruciating forge built to transform the weak and broken into physical manifestations of Agares hate. In life a man may consider an act unthinkable, but through the slow manipulations of hell that act will become acceptable and then enjoyable. Many spend eternity in this slow grind, hating those above them and crushing those below them ''Hyborem'''' was not so easily satisfied. He thirsted for new challenges. With the covert assistance of Agares, the walls of creation were weakened imperceptibly. Hell, always existing alongside the infinite plane where mortals dwelt, was given brief, tortured access. Hyborem took his servants and set out at once.'' They are forced to carve a city from the dirt with their own claws when this reality refuses to submit to their will. But that will is strengthened by Hyborem's demonic desires, and his underlings abject fear of him. Hot tempered and Impatient, he is nonetheless cunning and willing to watch the kingdoms of men, even to learn from them how to operate in this realm, until his goals are fulfilled and he can bring as many mortals into hell to torment for eternity. * Category:Civilizations